Up at 5am/Druze Towns/Poker in Karmiel

This morning I rudely woke Ari up at 5am to go for a walk. I am not sure if it was the naps or jetlag that got to me but there I was, lying awake, listening to a lone bird chirping away at 4:30. Fortunately, Ari was a good sport and we walked to see the sunrise - in the haze, it was impossible, but it worked to catch a couple more winks of sleep.

Had a chocolate and plain croissant and some o.j. at 10am and went straight to the nearby Druze villages for some market shopping. We drove through Isfiya and then to Daliat el Carmel, a large Druze town. The Druze come from a long departed arm of Ismailism, the derrivative of Islamism, and they are considered Arab Israelis. Most Arab Israelis are exempt from serving in the army, but the Druze proudly distinguish themselves as part of the team and many have served throughout the years, demonstrating their patriotism toward Israel. Unfortunately, though, it is clear that the Druze are also subject to more poverty, downtrodden infrastructure, and religious segregation compared to the Jews living in Haifa. The result: a place that made me feel like I was in Mexico. Lots of shops with various toys and trinkets: leather elephants, faux Native American dreamcatchers, sparkling fabric of all colors, copper tins, spice jars, ood (guitars)...the list goes on. I was able to get a great pair of sweatpants for 20 shekles (about $4.50US) and also picked up some canvas art reproductions.

Daliat el Carmel:

From Feb 25

From Feb 25

Shwarma:

From Feb 25

Ari and I picked up Idan from school and took him to lunch. We ate hoummos and meat, and I tried the hot peppers, which made the meal 2x better. Then I went shopping with Elinor at the local mall while Ari visited his grandmother. I was saddened to find a mall that looked just like it could have been in Edina, minus the security guards who check your purse at each entrance. Picked up some great shoes and a sweater for a steal (prices here are 1) on sale and 2) about 30% cheaper than U.S.) and then headed back to Ari's place. Saw his parents and grandfather, who was over for a bit, and then headed to Karmiel for a poker game with some of his Intel friends.

The game was with two of Ari's friends from Intel, and I can completely understand why the three of them got along - all three are very grounded, smart, content engineers. One, Miki, is getting married on Weds and we will go to the weddding, and the other Avi, showed off his adorable 6 month old daughter. We had some pizza with spices on it (similar to hot peppers in the U.S.) and put the latest soccer game on.

Traffic lights here represent Israeli driving - at any moment, anyone could honk at you for practically no reason. Similarly ridiculous is the fact that before the light turns green here, there is a yellow "warning" to start - just feeding Israeli's impatience with lights and waiting. Also, Israelis are always striking. Ari cannot remember one single year in school when there was not a strike. In fact, there might be a strike at the airport on Monday - the day when we're supposed to fly out! Stay tuned.